What are the perceived needs of customers and how do they translate in brand benefits?
Brand benefits are about customer expectations. And the expectations that customers have today were shaped by their previous experiences. Those customer expectations may evolve day after day which requiert from brand marketers to follow those expectations in order to meet them and stay competitive on the market.
Let's have a look on the 3 brand strategies:
Illy has evolved since its creation to meet customer needs
As an example: since a couple of years, customers strongly associate Illy with Arts. However, this Art perception does not operate that much since the launch of the brand. The perception Illy's brand has moved since its creation in 1933.
The value of Illy: «always innovating in order to create the best products to customers» . Then, being associated to the vision of excellence and Art has been a long work full of innovations and nowadays we can see concrete Art actions like the creation of Art cups or the participation of Illy in Art exhibitions.
Indeed, Illy offers innovations to customers, with always in mind the objective of meeting customer needs. Those efforts from Illy has created benefits for the brand which are essential for its sustainability over time.
Innovating for meeting customer need is the key success of this brand,
- 1934: The first pressurized packaging came out, , just one year after the company’s founding.
- 1935: The second, came just one year later: theI lletta precursor of the modern espresso machine that, for the first time, separated pressure and heating elements
- 1974 saw illy’s third revolutionary invention: pre-tamped, pre-dosed, expertly ground espresso in single serve paper pods.
- 1992: First Art creations from Illy with the «small cup» drawn by Matteo Thun. It emphasized the official first foot print of Illy in Art sector.
Illy has shown through years a move in customer perceptions. Indeed, thanks to innovations and participation to Art movements, Illy has met its customer needs and values and has built a strong brand identity. But to reach this quality perception from the customers, Illy has known how to evolve over the years. Its action in 1992, signed its official enter in the Art sector : the quality sector, which defines Illy and its customer needs.
Le'ts have a look now on Maxwell House brand's strategy
According to marketers from Maxwell House, the brand coming from USA with its famous product, the soluble coffee, needs to evolve its products in order to reach a more important segment of the market.
Enjoying its high reputation from America and especially from Quebec, Maxwell House entered in the european market in 1948 with its product, the soluble coffee.
But infortunately it did not reach as many market shares as it was planed to reach, the success of the brand did not have as much success as on its native continent.
But why?
However, it did not work as much as the brand expected.
Indeed, Maxwell House's brand does not reach the 15/35 years old segment,
- First because of the product, soluble coffee, which is not the first drink of this age category
- But as well because of this old image Maxwell House is associated to.
That is why, Maxwell House has then innovated in order to get more into the customer needs. Because young consumers do not consume many soluble coffee, Maxwell House has changed its receipt in a sweeter and more flavored coffee.
The pakaging is more modern too: can be now opened thanks to a zip-up.
This new line of products has been renamed: Maxiccino.
The brand Maxwell House has completely changed its perception, from a old and traditional coffee to a modern and fun coffee. The brand's image is then completly different. The values shared by Maxwell House of traditional, simplicity have involved to modernity, fashion brand.
Maxwell House has known how to adapt its brand image to the customer needs of the segment it wants to reach.
Let's see how it works for Nescafé
Nescafé is about redefining its brand positioning to really meet its customer needs. Nescafé is worldwildy present and the perception of its image from consumers was different according to the countries. Recently, Necafé has decided to unify its values to show a global image of the brand. Let's see how it has been constructed.
«We have realized that we needed that the Necafé became a more coherent brand, with an unique personality able to position itself differently according to the countries it is present on» -P.Bula, Marketing director of Nestlé.
This new positioning from Nescafé, leader of the coffee market for 75 years, drags it as a «love brand» for perception of its concumers. This evolution is deep and strategic, within a logic of evolving from a brand's product to a more global vision of masterbrand.
Now, Nescafé for the first time, gets a real identity system positioned on 3 strategics and recognizabled symbols:
Origin of the 3 symbols of the brand:
Then the creation of the symbols:
The general point, choosen by Nescafé marketers, which sum-up those 3 symbols is the following:
The red accent associated to the mug, is the symbol which unify all the packagings distributed by Nescafé all around the world.
This concept allows the leading brand to give a worldwild image of itself. Thanks to the creation of those symbols, Nescafé affirms its brand power and enter into its consumer perceptions as a brand with strong identity sharing global values. Getting a product from Nescafé means for consumers being part of a global movement, gathering countries and cultures.
